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The stresses of debts that accompany a university education- in addition to rising tuition fees- include accommodation, living expenses, books, transportation and more. The thought of starting working life with about £25k in debt can be quite frightening, especially with recent news surrounding the soaring graduate unemployment levels. Inaddition, it is estimated that between 170,000 to 200,000 students will have their university applications rejected this year.

 Das Bikramjit Gakhal, who bagged an A, two Bs and a C at A-level, has decided against going to university despite applying and getting offered places. Instead he will take up a job as an audit trainee with MacIntyre Hudson in September, while studying for an Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) qualification and post completion he will study with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). The motive behind this?

"It's a much quicker route than university - you become chartered in four years," he said, “whereas if I went to university, its four years and then I'd still have to do my ACCA qualification, which normally takes two years." 

Das’ plans to stay at home would mean missing out on some of the social aspects of university life, but he believes the financial risks associated with studying for a degree are not worth taking. "The whole general route appealed to me - when I did my research, I found most employers wanted experience and through this route, I'll be able to gain experience and still get this qualification,” Das said, adding that he expects to get a “much better experience of accountancy and a head start on people who come out of university."                                                                                                                                             

Laura Griggs, 19, from Leeds, took a similar path to Das last year and has no regrets: "I'd had enough of full-time education. It's an enormous debt for three years, when you can get the qualification without getting into debt and earn money at the same time” she said. Laura is currently earns around £15,000 a year with Sagars in Leeds and is set to finish her AAT qualification in one and a half years.

Adam Cooper, 19, from Manchester also decided against the norm; he was planning to do A-levels, but a chance conversation with a worker at Pannone law firm made him realise he could start work and study at the same time. The same law firm offered him an office assistant job and he started studying for an Institute of Legal Executives (Ilex) professional diploma when he was 16. He is now working towards the Ilex Professional higher diploma in law and practice, which will allow him to become a solicitor by the time he is 25. "But it's by no means an easy way out, because the extra studying involved is intense," Cooper said.

Apprenticeships help build necessary skills, while earning a good wage and getting a qualification. Apprenticeships are a vocational route where you earn and learn simultaneously. There are many different apprenticeships in different sectors; there’s a stereotype that apprenticeships are only available in manual trades like builders or hairdressers, but apprenticeships are on hand in almost every career – from marketing to floristry, games testers to engineers.

Universities and Science Minister David Willetts says the government recognises that there is more than one route into "well-paid and fulfilling work".

"Further education and on-the-job training are of vital importance, which is why this government is investing in further education and has provided 50,000 extra high quality apprenticeships," he said.

Not Going To Uni (NGTU), is a website aimed at presenting students who have been unable to secure a university place that there are other options. The survival guide explores all alternative options such as vocational and distance-learning courses as well as taking a gap year and how to set up a business; all of which can for many people lead to better career choices or give them additional experience if they want to apply to university again next year. 

As Alexander Graham Bell once said “When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us,” students shouldn’t be disheartened as alternatives to uni are available in galore. In fact, Sir Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs- founder of Apple and Coco Chanel are some of the prime examples of moguls that haven’t acquired degrees yet have showcased brilliance and success in their ventures.